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Wi-owner

Al Miller's phone was tapped, court told

THE capture in June of accused drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke appears to have been facilitated by the police intercepting the telephone conversations of the Rev Al Miller, the pastor with whom Coke was travelling when he was held.

The revelation about the interception of Miller's conversations was made yesterday when the clergyman appeared a second time in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on charges of harbouring a fugitive and perverting the course of justice.

Miller's $200,000 bail was extended until September 23, after the court was informed that the police was still analysing recordings of phone conversations of Miller on June 22, the day Coke was arrested.

Speculations that Miller's phone may have been bugged started swirling following Coke's arrest after four weeks on the run — eluding several police/military dragnets. Coke had been on the run since May 24 when members of the security forces entered his then barricaded stronghold of Tivoli Gardens.

The police had been trying to apprehend Coke for his extradition to the US to face drug and gunrunning charges.

Coke was arrested after the police intercepted Miller's vehicle along the Mandela Highway, close to the St Andrew/St Catherine border.

Miller, who heads the Fellowship Tabernacle in St Andrew, was not detained then, but was later asked by the police to turn himself in. He was charged following questioning. Miller said he was taking Coke to the US Embassy in Kingston.

The police said they had been trailing Miller's vehicle from St Ann.

"I simply got a call to deal with an issue...," Miller told congregants at a Sunday morning service. "It was an opportunity that is a response to prayer. I went, picked him up and was taking him to the authorities. Nothing more, nothing less."

Miller had also been instrumental in Coke's brother, Levity, turning himself over to the police. Livity has since been charged by the police.